By Charles Igbo
Major General Edward Buba, Director, Defence Media Operations has disclosed that a joint operation carried out in Imo State by Security Operatives resulted in the shooting to death of 20 people.
Buba who revealed the number of the dead in a statement on Sunday, said the operation was carried out by The Troop Operation Udo Ka in conjunction with other Security Agencies to clear out rogue elements from their hideouts and make the State safer than before.
The raid/clearance, he said, was carried in Mother Valley, Orsu LGA, Imo State.
He alleged that 50 of the hideouts cleared out belonged to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network, ESN.
However, it is a claim/allegation the IPOB/ESN has since denied, and insisted it had no such Camps. It said the Camps belonged to a group under Finland-based Simon Ekpa, IPOB’s estranged members.
Buba said cleared were “about 50 IPOB/ESN hideout tents in the valley, including terrorists’ Supreme Headquarters and their Command and Control Centre as well as its Military Council Headquarters.”
Cleared, also, according to him were “Buteuzor’s hideout/residence office, logistic base, temple, and shrine.”
On the state of the hudeouts, Buba said they were “concealed with foliage that afforded the criminals cover from air surveillance to prevent monitoring and detection.
“The Valley had sufficient power supply for the camps. The terrorists hibernated there, reared animals, and also owned farms to be self-sustaining to live and fight. During the operations, troops also encountered several command IEDs and ditches along the axis of the camp.
“All explosives were detonated and ditches were covered with excavators before reaching the camp.
The location was identified to be the supreme headquarters, command, and control centre as well as the Military Council Headquarters of IPOB/ESN.
“During the operations, troops made contact with terrorists. Following a firefight, troops neutralised 20 terrorists and recovered several quantities of assorted weapons such as G3 rifles, AK47 rifles, auto pump action guns, double barrel guns, locally made pistols, and RPG bombs.
Troops also recovered assorted ammunition which included 226 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 216 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 172 live cartridges, 4 AK47 magazines, and 3 G3 magazines, several quantities of IEDs (OGBUNIGWE), POS devices, baofeng radios, mobile phones, handheld IEDs, CCTV cameras, inverters, and batteries, Biafra flags and others.”
Buba said the Security Operatives destroyed “all camps, hideouts, and shrines in the location.”
More disturbing, however, was the revelation by Buba that the camps were littered with shallow graves indicative of Idol worshipping and ritual killings.”
It is speculated, strongly, that a number of missing persons are occupants of the shallow graves.
